ADHD and anxiety often coexist, creating a cycle that can make focus, motivation, and emotional regulation feel especially challenging. While each condition can exist on its own, their overlap can intensify symptoms, leading to racing thoughts, restlessness, or even paralysis when trying to start a task. For many people, understanding how ADHD and anxiety interact is an important first step toward finding support.
This guide explores how the two conditions differ, how they interact, and what treatment options are available to help you feel more balanced and supported.
Key takeaways
- ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, impulsivity, and executive functioning across all ages and genders.
- Anxiety involves excessive worry and fear that can interfere with daily functioning and often co-occurs with ADHD.
- ADHD and anxiety have overlapping symptoms like restlessness and focus issues, but stem from different causes and require tailored treatment.
- Proper diagnosis of ADHD and anxiety involves evaluating behavior patterns, emotional symptoms, and ruling out other medical conditions.
- Effective treatment for ADHD and anxiety includes cognitive behavioral therapy, appropriate medication, and supportive lifestyle changes like sleep, diet, and exercise.
What is ADHD?
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a person focuses, manages impulses, and organizes their daily life. It is often identified in childhood, but many adults also live with undiagnosed or ongoing ADHD symptoms.
People with ADHD may experience persistent inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity that interferes with work, school, or relationships. Symptoms can look different depending on the person. Some people may struggle more with focus and time management, while others experience restlessness or impulsive decision-making.
There are three main types of ADHD: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined type. Each reflects a different balance of core symptoms.
What are common misconceptions of ADHD?
Despite more awareness in the cultural zeitgeist, ADHD is still misunderstood. One common misconception is that it only affects children or young boys. In reality, ADHD occurs across all genders and ages, though it may appear differently. For example, ADHD in women is often underdiagnosed because symptoms such as daydreaming or emotional sensitivity may be less noticeable than the more widely recognized hyperactive behaviors often seen in children.
Another misconception is that ADHD simply means being “easily distracted.” While distractibility is a stand-out symptom, ADHD also impacts executive functioning – the set of mental skills responsible for planning, organizing, and managing time. These challenges can create feelings of frustration or anxiety, especially when everyday tasks pile up.
Finally, ADHD is sometimes misunderstood as a lack of motivation. In truth, it’s a neurological condition, not a reflection of willpower. Understanding this distinction is essential for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek appropriate treatment and support.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a natural human response to stress, but when feelings of fear or worry become excessive, persistent, or interfere with daily life, they may indicate an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can take several forms, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and others.
Symptoms of anxiety can include racing thoughts, muscle tension, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and trouble sleeping. People with anxiety may also experience physical symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat, sweating, or nausea.
Unlike short-term stress, anxiety disorders tend to persist even when there’s no immediate threat. They can affect both children and adults and often occur alongside other conditions, such as depression or ADHD.
What are common misconceptions of anxiety?
Because everyone experiences occasional worry, anxiety is sometimes dismissed as an overreaction or a personality trait rather than a legitimate mental health condition. This misunderstanding can prevent people from seeking help early.
Another misconception is that anxiety always looks like panic. In reality, it often presents as quiet unease, overthinking, or avoidance. Many people with anxiety appear calm on the outside while experiencing intense internal distress.
It’s also important to recognize that anxiety isn’t something people can “just stop.” Managing an anxiety disorder often involves a treatment plan that includes therapy, coping skills, and sometimes medication. Approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be highly effective in identifying thought patterns that fuel anxiety and teaching strategies to manage them.
What are the differences between ADHD and anxiety?
Although ADHD and anxiety can share certain features, such as trouble focusing or restlessness, they stem from different underlying mechanisms. ADHD is primarily a disorder of attention and executive function, while anxiety is rooted in excessive worry and fear responses.
A key difference lies in motivation: individuals with ADHD may struggle to sustain focus even when calm, whereas those with anxiety can often concentrate intensely on perceived threats or potential problems. Anxiety can involve overthinking and rumination, while ADHD often presents as distractibility or impulsivity.
However, the two conditions can interact. Someone with ADHD might feel anxious about forgetting deadlines or losing track of tasks, while chronic anxiety can exacerbate ADHD symptoms by making concentration even harder. Understanding how these conditions influence each other is crucial for creating an effective treatment plan.
What are the common symptoms of ADHD and anxiety?
When ADHD and anxiety coexist, some symptoms can overlap, which may complicate diagnosis. Both can cause difficulties with focus, sleep, and emotional regulation, but they differ in how these challenges appear.
People with ADHD may notice chronic disorganization, impulsivity, difficulty sustaining attention, and a tendency to hyperfocus on certain interests while neglecting others. Those with anxiety often experience persistent worry, muscle tension, or avoidance behaviors aimed at reducing stress.
When both conditions are present, symptoms can influence and intensify one another. The inability to focus can lead to anxiety about underperforming, while the worry and overthinking characteristic of anxiety can further disrupt concentration. Over time, this cycle can impact work, relationships, and self-esteem.
How ADHD and anxiety are diagnosed by healthcare professionals
Because ADHD and anxiety share overlapping symptoms, proper diagnosis requires a careful and comprehensive evaluation. Healthcare professionals — such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or licensed therapists — begin by reviewing your medical and mental health history, current symptoms, and how they affect your daily functioning.
For ADHD, clinicians use standardized diagnostic criteria and behavioral assessments that evaluate patterns related to attention, impulsivity, and executive functioning. They may also gather input from teachers, parents, or partners, since ADHD symptoms often appear across multiple settings such as work, school, and home.
For anxiety disorders, providers focus on the presence and duration of excessive worry, tension, or fear, along with physical symptoms like restlessness or difficulty sleeping. They’ll rule out other medical causes before confirming a diagnosis.
When ADHD and anxiety coexist, professionals look for patterns, whether anxiety occurs as a reaction to ADHD-related challenges or both conditions operate independently. This distinction helps clinicians recommend an appropriate treatment plan, since treating only one condition may not fully resolve the symptoms.
If you’re unsure where to start, it may help to find a therapist who can assess and treat both ADHD and anxiety.
What is the best treatment for ADHD and anxiety?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to treating ADHD and anxiety, but most people benefit from a combination of therapy, lifestyle adjustments, and medication when appropriate. Treatment aims to reduce distress, improve functioning, and build sustainable coping skills.
Therapy is often the first line of support. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is widely used to help people recognize unhelpful thought patterns and learn strategies to manage them. For ADHD, therapists may also use behavioral interventions to strengthen time management, organization, and goal-setting. Mindfulness-based approaches can be beneficial when both conditions are present, since they target impulsivity and anxious thinking simultaneously.
Medication can also play a key role. Stimulants such as methylphenidate or amphetamine-based medications are commonly prescribed for ADHD, as they help improve attention and focus. However, these stimulants may sometimes heighten anxiety for certain individuals, so clinicians might recommend non-stimulant ADHD medications like atomoxetine or guanfacine instead. For anxiety disorders, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are often used to regulate mood and reduce chronic worry.
When managing both conditions, healthcare providers may adjust medications or combine therapeutic approaches based on individual response. Treatment works best when it’s collaborative, meaning you and your clinician discuss side effects, goals, and progress regularly to keep your treatment plan effective and personalized.
In addition to therapy and medication, lifestyle habits can make a meaningful difference. Regular physical exercise, consistent sleep routines, a balanced diet, and mindfulness practices can help improve focus and lower stress levels. Small daily changes can support the progress made through professional treatment.
How to find a therapist for ADHD and anxiety
Finding the right therapist is an important step toward feeling more in control of both ADHD and anxiety. Look for licensed mental health professionals such as psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), or clinical social workers who specialize in treating these conditions. Therapists with experience in neurodiversity or behavioral health can provide strategies tailored to your needs.
When beginning your search, clarify what type of therapy you’re interested in. For example, CBT helps with thought patterns that fuel anxiety and disorganization, while acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) focuses on building resilience and emotional flexibility. Some therapists may also use coaching techniques or structured skill-building for executive functioning – particularly helpful for adults managing ADHD.
If cost or accessibility is a concern, check your insurance provider’s network to confirm which therapists are covered. You can also use Grow Therapy’s directory to find a therapist who accepts your insurance and has experience treating ADHD and anxiety together.
Remember, it’s okay to try a few sessions before committing long-term. The therapeutic relationship works best when you feel understood, supported, and comfortable expressing your concerns openly.
Final thoughts
Living with ADHD and anxiety can feel exhausting at times, but understanding how they interact is the first step toward managing both more effectively. With the right treatment plan, many people experience significant improvement in focus, emotional regulation, and quality of life. It cannot be understated how important patience and self-compassion are in the treatment process.
Finding a therapist who understands both conditions can help you learn tools to manage stress, organize daily tasks, and approach challenges with more confidence.